Caught From Behind

By SCOTT HOWARD-COOPER

Dec. 18, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

CHICAGO — The United Center is rubble today. Roof caved in. Walls collapsed. Faults in the floor big enough to swallow a 7-foot, 320-pound man without a trace.

Anyone doesn’t believe it, have them ask the Lakers.

They know it to be true. They were inside when the implosion occurred Tuesday night. Oh, that’s right, they were the implosion, going from 19 points up in the fourth quarter to a 129-123 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls before 23,919 and a national television audience in a disaster that should qualify for FEMA funds.

One other truth:

“The only thing we can learn from this is that’s how champions play,” guard Eddie Jones said. “Champions fight to the end.”

While the Lakers are left to wonder what happened. They know, of course. The Bulls, the old guys, not only came back from 22 points down late in the second quarter, but at the end had enough left to break out the full-court pressure with a vengeance. It made the blowout and Shaquille O’Neal disappear as one.

“We stunk it up in the fourth quarter,” Laker Coach Del Harris said. “They did a tremendous job to help cause that.

“It’s a disappointing loss. We played some of the best ball we’ve played all year and then in the fourth quarter we played some of the poorest ball we’ve played all year.

“Chicago showed why they are the champions. They showed how to step it up and put a withering defense on to an opponent. It’s a tough loss for us to take, obviously.”

Obviously.

“This one’s going to sting for a while,” Nick Van Exel said.

It was Van Exel, in an otherwise brilliant game of 36 points on 14-of-21 shooting, who took the blame for the demise of the Lakers’ five-game winning streak because of how he wilted against the traps and presses.

He had only two turnovers in the fourth quarter and none in the overtime, giving him six for the game against six assists, but the two were critical in that they came as the Bulls were turning the longshot comeback hopes into reality. One led to a Chicago basket and then, after a Van Exel miss on a three-pointer, the other became one free throw.

That made it 113-108 with 1:44 left in regulation. Then came a turnover by Jones. Then Jerome Kersey, en route to missing all six field-goal tries in the fourth quarter and 11 of 13 in the game, almost got stripped in the backcourt before getting fouled instead and making one from the line. Then Elden Campbell missed two from the line.

Meanwhile, the Bulls were scoring. Rather, Toni Kukoc was, making four of five three-point tries in the final quarter while scoring 18 of his 31 points. His swish with 47 seconds remaining, with O’Neal running at him with a hand up, made it 114-114.

“[Scottie] Pippen was talking the whole night: ‘This ain’t over, this ain’t over,’ ” Van Exel said. “And he was right.”

Gaining some redemption, Van Exel put the Lakers back ahead when he fought off pressure from Pippen to get into the lane and make a straight-away, driving bank with 14.2 seconds left.

The Bulls then went to Kukoc. It had to be Kukoc. The night belonged to him, not Michael Jordan, who scored 30 points but clearly struggled while making 10 of 32 shots, even missing a layup, and not Pippen, who would finish with a team-high 35 points. Toni, Toni, Toni.

“I respect MJ, I respect Pippen and all the guys, but I know once I get hot, I want the ball,” Kukoc said.

He got it this time on the right side and beat Campbell off the dribble, penetrating inside. O’Neal was forced to step up for defense and fouled Kukoc, who made both free throws with 4.4 seconds to play and forced overtime.

It was also a significant moment in that at least O’Neal got to touch the ball. He didn’t get many opportunities on offense because the Bulls’ pressure, when not leading to a turnover, did the next best thing and forced the Lakers out of their offense. Sometimes when he did get the ball, it was out of scoring position.

So O’Neal had 23 points at halftime--and three shots in the third quarter, two in the fourth and none in overtime, when his only scoring opportunity was two free throws with 1:24 remaining, both misses. He finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds.

“Down the stretch,” Jones said, “we played real young.”

Added Van Exel: “We didn’t handle the ball well, me in particular. By that time, they had the momentum.”

When the Bulls went on a 6-0 run late in overtime, they had it for good. That made for the final 129-123 margin, with Kukoc accounting for five of their 13 points in overtime, and the end of the Lakers in what had become a very long night.

* HOT HAWKS: Atlanta made an NBA-record 19 three-point baskets in a 109-73 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. C4

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Season of Expectations

The Lakers acquired nine new players this season, including Shaquille O’Neal and his $120-million contract. In turn, with big acquisitions come big expectations. Throughout the season, The Times will monitor O’Neal’s numbers along with how the team compares to some of the best Laker teams in history.

GAME 26 OF 82

* Record 18-8

* Standing 1st place

Pacific Division

1996-97 LAKERS VS. THE BEST LAKER TEAMS

*--*

Year Gm. 3 Overall 1987-88 3-0 62-20 1986-87 2-1 65-17 1984-85 1-2 62-20 1979-80 2-1 60-22 1971-72 3-0 69-13

*--*

Note: The five teams above all won NBA championships

THE SHAQ SCOREBOARD

Basketball Numbers

Tuesday’s Game:

*--*

Min FG FT Reb Blk Pts 44 12-20 3-6 13 2 27

*--*

1996-97 Season Averages:

*--*

Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 39.6 .573 .491 13.0 3.0 25.7

*--*

1995-96 Season Averages:

*--*

Min FG% FT% Reb Blk Pts 36.0 .573 .487 11.0 2.1 26.6

*--*

Money Numbers

* Tuesday’s Salary: $130,658.53

* Season Totals: $3,397,121.78

* FACTOID: Magic Johnson, taking charge after the Lakers had lost three of their last four games, had 18 assists in game 26 of the 1984-85 season, a 109-101 victory over Washington. After the game, Johnson said the offense had become too predictable: “We were going to Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] all the time. Everybody in the building knew it. The fans, the opposing players, they all knew it. I decided to get our other people involved too.”

The Breakdown

Comparing the Lakers and Bulls:

FIRST HALF

*--*

Lakers Bulls 72 Points 57 30-46 FG 24-50 65.2 FG % 48 7-10 FT 6-9 70 FT % 66.7 4 TO 6

*--*

SECOND HALF

*--*

Lakers Bulls 44 Points 59 15-39 FG 17-41 38.5 FG % 41.5 12-19 FT 18-23 63.2 FT % 78.3 10 TO 6

*--*

OVERTIME

*--*